SV 98 has filled the vacant position of Sporting Director at its youth academy. Maximilian Mehring succeeds Björn Müller. The 39-year-old had previously been serving as interim coach at the Lilies' youth academy. SV 98 has also adjusted its reporting structure within the youth academy.
Björn Kopper, Head of the Youth Academy: „Max has done an outstanding job as interim coach over the past few months, initiating and developing numerous projects in this role. Following Björn Müller’s departure, he has already addressed many areas that fall within the purview of the Sporting Director. He has impressively demonstrated his ability to fulfill this role effectively. It was therefore only logical to integrate him into the Youth Academy in this capacity. For us, it’s ideal to have someone who is already familiar with our processes, while simultaneously having gained experience at other clubs and thus bringing a fresh perspective.“
Paul Fernie, Sporting Director of SV 98: „As liaison coach, Max has been an important contact person for me since last summer. In our discussions, we quickly realised that we share similar ideas regarding the sporting direction and development in the youth sector and the transition to the senior team. He managed to establish connections with all departments within the youth academy in a short time, always keeping the big picture in mind. This 360-degree view is very important for a sporting director. We are absolutely convinced that he will fill the new position very well with his meticulousness, his ideas, and his intuition.“
Maximilian Mehring: „I’m looking forward to this new challenge and am very grateful to the club for the trust they’ve placed in me. The club has clear ideas and visions for the next steps in the development of its youth academy. For me, it’s a great incentive to be able to play an even more active role in shaping this process in the future. And all this in an environment where I’ve felt very comfortable from day one.“
During his playing career, Mehring made three appearances in the second division and a total of 110 appearances in the regional league, including 23 for Darmstadt 98. After his playing career, the Worms native worked as an assistant and head coach at Wormatia Worms, Waldhof Mannheim, and SV Sandhausen. Mehring has held the position of interim coach at SV 98 since July 2025.
SV 98 will fill the interim coach position permanently in due course.
SV 98 Adjusts Reporting Structure
To further improve coordination between the professional players‘ division and SV 98’s governing bodies, the club has adjusted its reporting structure. Going forward, the youth academy, represented by Björn Kopper, will no longer report directly to the club’s board of directors, but rather to the managing director of the professional players‘ division, Tom Eilers, and sporting director, Paul Fernie, on a topic-specific basis. While Eilers will be primarily responsible for strategic, organisational, and infrastructural matters, all sporting matters will fall under Fernie’s purview. Both Eilers and Fernie will continue to report directly to the board of directors.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.